Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-09
SKOBELEFF.
how BE PLAYED rRUAsr AND WENT
TO LONDON,
and the Jolly Tine he Fad of woolwieh,
Inctgnito, Among the British Sol
ditIs and Cadets.

The story Of General Skobeleff g visit
to London must lose a great deal ia be-
ing told 10y any one save himself or his
special friend, Nj. J. McGahan. But
ns the Reaper, whose name is Death,
has gathered them both with his sickle
keen, it may perchance be essayed 10y
one who heard the General tell it twice
in Cons tantiDople during the interval
between the treaty of San Steiano and
the assembling of the Berlin Congress.
ii was soon after the Khivan con-
quest that Skobeletf returned to st. Pc
tersburg. He had, in spite of the fame
he bad acquired by being first in the
assaulted city, got into bad odor with the
Emperor, who apparently resented the
lactthat junior had actually done better
than his senior. in very tlTlth Michael
Skobeleff, though one Of the mostcham-
ing Of men, was 10y nature and inclina-
ton far more at home in the camp
than in the Count, and although,
finding his impetuosity had car
ned bis columns where honor lay,
he had promptly retired so as to give
kaufman the credit that was due to
himself, the very fact that the truth
had been trunpeted through Europe
and America had aroused ihe luminosity
Of the Court party, and Skobeletf was
under cloud. Still, he was famous
there was no getting over that-and
policy, if inclination, dictated use
for him while his laurels were yet
green. The Russian imperial family
has kindly end courteous way Of re-
cocnizing the birthdays and other Jcte
DAYS of its innumerable relatives among
the reigning families of Europe. Few,
at any rate, of the more important of
these occasions pass without some re-
cognition in the way of present OF
jewelry or some other valnables being
extended by the Gar 1t happened
that when at least formal ciyility had
to be shown to the dashing Colonel q
present was to be sent to the Queen
Of the Eelgians-if not the Queen,
then The King-and the idea occurred
TO somebody that two birds might be
smitten with one stone, the Court OF
Brussels might be honored by sending
to it on an honorary mission the very
latest hero and SkobeleT might be
got rid Of by dispatching him on the
mission, which would be recognition
enough in the sight of Europe of his
proves. Possibly Europe never heard
OF the mission; probably knew no more
OF it than through paragraph in the
.IoarnQi dc 81. PctcrSbOurg and the
JEdepcndoncc EclJe. At any rate Sko-
lelot' carried the codc0u, was invited
to dinner at the palace, and was deco
rated. No man not an Englishman or
an American ever bad less regard for
orders and stars not won on the battle
feld than Michael Ekobeleff, and those
who were most intimate with him knew
rest how vastly he preferred a partic
cuIrcc to n palatial function.
4 certain time had been given him in
which to fulfil his mission, and when
that had been accomplished few days
served to exhaust the attractions OF
BRUSSELS. He had a week of his leave
to svare, and one day it occurred to
him he might as well spend part OF ii
incoenito and en- ciUiic in seeing Lon
Con. He telegraphed TO McGanan to
meet him, but that genial genius was
not in England. However, Skobeleii
STATED by the evening mail and reach
Cd London at dawn OF the following
morning. He had heard somehow
Of the Grosvenor Hotel, and intended
TO reach it by the Chatham and Dover
| railway. whose terminus at Victoria II
adioins. However, as he reached Dover
in time for the A. N. train he had
either to wait three hours or go by the
Southeastern lie, and he chose the lit
ter course. Day broke as he entered
the suburbs Of the vast city, and
though hc was charmed with the SUI
rounding country he was not much I'M
pressed by the miles Of solid streets
across which he passed on his way &c
Cannon street. Thence to Charine
Cross he bad no eyes for anything
lut st. Pauls Cathedral. lie did mo-
remember Trafalgar Square, "tht
finest site in Europe" as tha
prodieious parsonage George ~. calleC
II. hut he did remember toe Nelson
Column as seen from the window o
the cab in which he drove to Victorii
station. At the Grosvenor Hotel h'
"tUrned in j" for awhile, but soon ate
s o'clock he was in the coilee-roon
waiting for bis breakfast, and he PICKED
up the Times. In it he read that ther,
was to he an artillery review at Wool
wich in the course OF the morning, an.
rs be had heard so much of the Engllsl
artillery (Which he rightly pronounce
the finest in the world, so far O
men and horses aud tci,aC are con
cerncd), he resolved 70 run dow
and see the spectacle on the wild
and long level common whicI
stretches between the RoyaI-Artiller,
Barracks aud Shooters Hill. Two bat
tories Of horse artillery and six -blt
te,ies of field artillery were alread.
drawn up when we arrived, and nea
them was a fine regiment OF cavalry
which, from his description of them
must have been the Queens Bays o
second Dragons, one OF the two ca
valry regiments, saving the Household
'roops. which are never sent abroad Il
time of peace, the other being the Firs
or ROYAL Dragons. The ground wa
kept by the garrison artillery, an
there was goodly gathering o
spectators, go that for awhile, notwith
Standing his height, Skobelef could no
make out much of what was going OF
At last lie saw an officer in full un
form and wearing 3 cooked hat wit
Green feathers about to pass throug
the centres. He accosted this officer
taking him from the feathers to belon
20 the staff, and saying he was IN tn
Russian service. asked permission l
lis excellent English, spoken with
scarcely-perceptible accent, to pass tn
line. The officer avowed that he WI
only a doctor-the staff wear whit
feathers. with touch OF red-but h
went away to obtain the required pei
mission. and ciyilly volunteered TO az
ss guide, philosopher, and friend-a
offer which Skobeleff was very glad {
accept.
For three hours the review LASTED
the Russian becoming OF each momeI
more and more enthusiastic at the eta
and precision with which the mi
nnnyres were executed. When 1t WI